Cambridge International Examinations

Cambridge Ordinary Level

COMPUTER SCIENCE 2210/12

Paper 1 October/November 2016
MARK SCHEME
Maximum Mark: 75

Published

This mark scheme is published as an aid to teachers and candidates, to indicate the requirements of the
examination. It shows the basis on which Examiners were instructed to award marks. It does not indicate the
details of the discussions that took place at an Examiners’ meeting before marking began, which would have
considered the acceptability of alternative answers.

Mark schemes should be read in conjunction with the question paper and the Principal Examiner Report for
Teachers.

Cambridge will not enter into discussions about these mark schemes.

Cambridge is publishing the mark schemes for the October/November 2016 series for most
Cambridge IGCSE®, Cambridge International A and AS Level components and some Cambridge O Level
components.

® IGCSE is the registered trademark of Cambridge International Examinations.

This document consists of 10 printed pages.

© UCLES 2016 [Turn over

 Page 2 Mark Scheme Syllabus Paper
Cambridge O Level – October/November 2016 2210 12

1 (a) Any two from:

– direct access to computer processor / special hardware // machine dependent

instructions
– uses up less memory
– can increase the speed of processing a program // executes instructions faster
[2]

(b)
Statements Interpreter (9) Compiler (9)

Translates the source code into machine code

9
all at once

Produces an executable file in machine code 9

Executes a high-level language program one

9
instruction at a time

Once translated, the translator does not need to be

9
present for the program to run

An executable file is produced 9

[5]

2 Any four from:

– Provides a user interface

– Handles interrupts / errors
– Memory management
– File management
– Manages peripherals (inputs/outputs)
– Provides security methods
– Allows multitasking
– Manages multiprogramming
– Enables batch processing
– Manages software installation / removal
– Allows creation of multiple accounts
– Levels of access
[4]

© UCLES 2016
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Cambridge O Level – October/November 2016 2210 12

3 (a) (i) Any two from:

serial

– one bit sent at a time // bits sent sequentially

– over a single wire
– synchronous or asynchronous
[2]
(ii) Any two from:

parallel

– several bits / a byte sent at a time

– using many / multiple wires
– synchronous
[2]

(b) – serial

Any two from:

– serial data transmission more reliable over long distances

– less likely for the data to be skewed/out of synchronisation
– less interference as only a single wire
– it is a cheaper connection as only single wire needed // cheaper to set up
– a fast connection is not required as a printer is limited by its printing speed
[3]

4 (a) Intersection of Row 7 and column 4 circled [1]

(b) – Row (byte number) 7 has an odd number of 1s (five 1s)

– Column (bit number) 4 has an odd number of 1s (five 1s)
[2]

© UCLES 2016
 Page 4 Mark Scheme Syllabus Paper
Cambridge O Level – October/November 2016 2210 12

5 (a) 112 [1]

(b) 56 [1]

(c) divided by 2 // value 112 was halved // multiplied by 0.5 [1]

(d) (i)
0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0

[1]

(ii) 14 [1]

(e) Any two from:

– run out of places to the right of register / at the end of register

– right-most 1 would be lost
– number would become 3 instead of 3.5
– loss of precision
[2]

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 Page 5 Mark Scheme Syllabus Paper
Cambridge O Level – October/November 2016 2210 12

6 1 mark for both correct lines from each computer term.

[4]

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 Page 6 Mark Scheme Syllabus Paper
Cambridge O Level – October/November 2016 2210 12

7 (a) (i) 2 marks for 4 correct outputs,

1 mark for 2 correct outputs

1 mark for correct gate

A B Working space X

0 0 0

0 1 0

1 0 0

1 1 1

AND gate
[3]

(ii) 2 marks for 4 correct outputs

1 mark for 2 correct outputs

1 mark for correct gate

A B Working space X

0 0 0

0 1 1

1 0 1

1 1 1

OR gate

[3]

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Page 7 Mark Scheme Syllabus Paper
Cambridge O Level – October/November 2016 2210 12

(b)(i) 1 mark per correct section.

1 mark

1 mark

1 mark

1 mark

[4]
(ii) 4 marks for 8 correct outputs
3 marks for 6 correct outputs
2 marks for 4 correct outputs
1 mark for 2 correct outputs

A B C Working space X

0 0 0 0

0 0 1 1

0 1 0 0

0 1 1 0

1 0 0 0

1 0 1 1

1 1 0 1

1 1 1 1

[4]

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 Page 8 Mark Scheme Syllabus Paper
Cambridge O Level – October/November 2016 2210 12

8
Statement TRUE or FALSE

MIDI stores the actual music notes in a compressed format FALSE

JPEG files are examples of lossless file compression FALSE

MP3 files are, on average, 90% smaller than the music files
TRUE
stored on a CD

MP4 files are examples of lossy file compression

TRUE

[4]

9 (a) Any two from:

– a large number of requests are sent to the network/server all at once

– designed to flood a network/server with useless traffic/requests
– the network/server will come to a halt/stop trying to deal with all the traffic/requests
– prevents users from gaining access to a website/server
[2]

(b) 1 mark for each security threat and 1 mark for matching description

Security threat Description

Viruses – software that replicates

– causes loss/corruption of data // computer may “crash”/run
slow

Hacking/cracking – illegal/ unauthorised access to a system/data

Phishing – a link/attachment sends user to fake website (where personal

data may be obtained)

Pharming – malicious code installed on user’s hard drive / computer

– user is redirected to a fake website (where personal data may
be obtained)

Spyware/key logger – send/relay key strokes to a third party

[4]

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 Page 9 Mark Scheme Syllabus Paper
Cambridge O Level – October/November 2016 2210 12

10 (a) Any three from:

– hyper text mark-up language

– uses both structure and presentation
– web-authoring language/software // used to create websites/webpages
– uses tags to define e.g. colour / font / graphics / layout
[3]

(b)

File name: ComputerSciencePapers

Protocol: http(://)

Web server name: www.cie.org.uk

[3]

11 (a) 1 mark per nibble

0010 1010 1111

[3]

(b) 1 mark for identification of each sensor, max 2 for each description

Infrared/motion sensor

– Receives infrared rays/heat

– Sends data to microprocessor
– Receives microwaves
– Placed in the corner of a room, across a doorway
– Used to detect the heat of an intruder // used to detect if an infrared beam has been
broken by an intruder

Pressure sensor

– Receives current if circuit created // stops receiving current if circuit is broken

– Sends data to microprocessor
– Placed on a window/door, at the entrance
– Used to detect a change in pressure
[6]

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Page 10 Mark Scheme Syllabus Paper
Cambridge O Level – October/November 2016 2210 12

12 Any four from:

– Freeware needs owner’s permission to share/copy/amend whereas free software can be

shared/copied/amended without permission
– Freeware the owner retains copyright / is subject to copyright whereas free software the
owner releases copyright/ is not subject to copyright
– Freeware is normally provided without a fee whereas free software a fee may be charged
– Freeware is distributed without the source code whereas free software is distributed with the
source code
– Freeware can be restricted in use e.g. non-commercial whereas free software can be used
without restriction

NOTE: The question asks candidates to explain the differences, so each mark needs to have a
comparison.
[4]

© UCLES 2016